Ryūken Ishida's archery was extraordinarily refined.
Unlike Uryū, who preferred wide-area suppression tactics, Ryūken favored a method of precise, single-shot strikes.
Even so, every arrow Ryūken fired landed at the most uncomfortable position possible for Ichigo.
Ichigo had barely used Shunpo to advance two steps before Ryūken suppressed him with a triple-shot sequence, forcing him back to where he started.
Ichigo's frustration began to rise.
The arrows themselves weren't particularly powerful—one swing of Zangetsu could sweep them away easily.
Yet every arrow struck the exact same point on Zangetsu, forcing Ichigo's blade backward again and again until he was pushed back entirely.
I really want to use Getsuga Tenshō…
Ichigo gritted his teeth as he stared at Ryūken, who was strolling calmly as if taking a walk.
But he didn't dare.
Because Masaki and Orihime were standing behind Ryūken.
For Ichigo, the most straightforward way to break Ryūken's suppression was either Getsuga Tenshō or the arrows generated by his Fullbring.
But both attacks were too powerful and had too wide an area of effect.
Ichigo simply couldn't risk using them recklessly.
"Why not use it?" Ryūken said coldly.
"Getsuga Tenshō."
His voice carried a trace of ridicule.
He could see exactly what Ichigo was thinking. A straightforward fighter like him always preferred blasting through obstacles with powerful techniques.
Ichigo didn't answer.
He was still searching for an opening.
"Afraid of hurting Masaki?" Ryūken said.
"I can change positions."
With a flash, Ryūken appeared directly behind Ichigo.
That Hirenkyaku was unbelievably fast—Ichigo hadn't even seen him move.
But Ichigo's attention wasn't on Ryūken at all.
The moment Ryūken moved aside, Ichigo immediately dashed toward Masaki and Orihime.
Zangetsu gathered Reiatsu, ready to shatter the cage with a single strike.
"Predictable," Ryūken said calmly.
He casually fired three Heilig Pfeil in a triangular formation toward Ichigo's back.
Feeling the threat behind him, Ichigo had no choice but to stop.
In that instant, the Reiatsu stored in Zangetsu was unleashed—
Getsuga Tenshō!
A sweeping crescent of black energy surged forward.
The powerful Getsuga shattered the three arrows effortlessly and continued toward Ryūken.
Ryūken simply adjusted his glasses calmly.
Just before the Getsuga struck him, he raised his bow and fired a single arrow.
The Getsuga Tenshō shattered instantly.
The fragments of Reiatsu were then seized and controlled by Ryūken, gathering in his empty hand.
It was Sklaverei—the Quincy technique of enslaving Reishi.
Ryūken had taken control of Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō.
"Your Reiatsu is abundant," Ryūken said coolly.
"But it lacks concentration. A flaw like that will only make you someone else's toy."
Ichigo understood.
Today, he wouldn't be leaving until he defeated Ryūken Ishida.
In that case—
There was no reason to hesitate.
"Bankai!"
Wrapped in black Reiatsu, Ichigo transformed into a blur.
He wanted to see whether Ryūken could still remain so relaxed against the speed of Tensa Zangetsu.
Just as Ichigo expected—
Ryūken stopped firing arrows so casually.
Even when Ichigo deliberately left afterimages in the air, Ryūken remained cautious.
Seizing the moment, Ichigo used Shunpo to appear directly in front of Ryūken.
Tensa Zangetsu slashed toward the arm holding the bow.
He had deliberately avoided aiming for a vital spot.
But what he didn't expect—
Was the metallic clang that followed.
Tensa Zangetsu couldn't even scratch Ryūken's skin.
Fine, branch-like Reishi patterns appeared across Ryūken's body.
It was the defensive Quincy technique:
Blut Vene.
Just as Ichigo's blade struck him, Ryūken calmly commented,
"Quincy combat techniques are not limited to bows."
With a flick of his finger, a long piece of equipment fell into his hand.
The Reishi he had seized through Sklaverei flowed into it, forming a blue energy blade.
Seele Schneider.
Without hesitation, Ryūken slashed across Ichigo's chest.
Ichigo was sent flying, blood spraying through the air.
The wound looked severe.
But Ryūken knew otherwise.
As a professional doctor, he could guarantee the cut was shallow—it looked dramatic but wouldn't hinder Ichigo's movements.
Of course, Ryūken knew that.
The two women trapped inside the cage did not.
Orihime panicked immediately and summoned Tsubaki to strike the barrier.
However, Koten Zanshun lacked enough power to break through easily.
Masaki, though furious, remained somewhat rational.
She knew Ryūken was simply training Ichigo.
But that idiot wasn't teaching anything!
How was Ichigo supposed to figure it out on his own?
And Ichigo himself was just as stubborn.
Instead of asking questions, he simply rushed in blindly the moment something happened to them.
Left with no choice, Masaki began shouting the theoretical principles of Quincy abilities toward Ichigo.
You never know when knowledge you once discarded will suddenly become essential again.
Hearing Masaki's voice, Ichigo gradually calmed down.
That's right.
This was just training.
If he learned Quincy techniques properly, his mother and Orihime would be safe.
Ichigo focused on absorbing Masaki's explanations.
But this was battle training.
There was no time to calmly meditate.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two more arrows flew toward him.
Annoyed, Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu to block.
Two impacts rang out—similar yet distinct.
Both arrows struck the same exact point on his blade, forcing his grip open.
Learning calmly?
It wouldn't be that easy.
Ryūken's teaching method for Ichigo was completely different from how he trained Tsuna or Uryū.
Time was limited.
Ichigo possessed too many different powers.
That meant Ryūken couldn't guide him slowly over months or years.
Fortunately, Ichigo wasn't stupid.
His academic grades were excellent, and in battle he often displayed clever instincts.
So Ryūken chose a different approach.
Let Ichigo awaken Quincy abilities in real combat.
Life and death.
Family and friends.
Each of those pressures would push Ichigo to grow stronger.
Ryūken's arrows rained down relentlessly.
Ichigo began fleeing desperately.
Masaki's explanations reached him only in fragments.
Under such conditions, it was impossible for Ichigo to calmly study.
"Damn it, old man—take this!"
A black crescent burst into existence—
And behind it followed a black arrow.
Ichigo used Getsuga Tenshō as cover for his Fullbring arrow attack.
It was a combination he had learned back when he first awakened his Shinigami powers.
This time, Ryūken didn't simply adjust his glasses.
He drew his Reishi bow.
Ichigo's attack was finally worthy of making him draw it.
But only barely.
Ryūken pulled the bowstring back only as far as his forearm.
Two arrows shot out.
They struck the precise weak points of Getsuga Tenshō and the black arrow—destroying both instantly.
The cost?
Just a tiny bit more effort from Ryūken.
His confidence came from two things:
His precise understanding of an opponent's attack—
And his absolute accuracy with his own.
After breaking Ichigo's attack, Ryūken didn't pause.
Arrows fired like a machine gun, forcing Ichigo into constant retreat.
The moment Ichigo tried to raise his sword or draw his bow, an arrow would instantly disrupt him.
Ichigo was forced to repeatedly shift positions using Shunpo.
Yet every time he paused—
An arrow would immediately find him.
Ichigo wasn't stupid.
He realized Ryūken had already seen through his Shunpo patterns.
So he switched to Fullbring propulsion.
It made no difference.
The arrows seemed to have a tracking system.
They always found him.
Finally, Ichigo gritted his teeth.
He donned his Hollow mask and used Sonído, appearing instantly before Ryūken.
But what awaited him was a Seele Schneider formed from Ichigo's own Reishi.
Shunpo.
Fullbring propulsion.
Sonído.
None of them worked.
After receiving a cross-shaped slash across his chest, a flash of understanding appeared in Ichigo's mind.
He finally understood Ryūken's intention.
The key wasn't Reiatsu—
It was Reishi.
If Shunpo was a short burst of speed…
Fullbring propulsion was like a leap…
And Sonído was a spatial jump—
Then Hirenkyaku was something else entirely.
It was like skating across Reishi.
Its greatest advantage was flexibility.
It allowed the user to adjust their position in extremely small spaces.
To break Ryūken's relentless accuracy, the only answer was Hirenkyaku.
He needed to adjust his position the instant an arrow arrived.
The moment the idea appeared, Ichigo immediately began trying.
Masaki hadn't even explained Hirenkyaku yet—
But that didn't matter.
At the core of all Quincy abilities was control over Reishi.
So if he controlled Reishi beneath his feet…
That should work, right?
Tiny amounts of Reishi began gathering under Ichigo's feet.
But he was still running frantically and couldn't concentrate it properly.
So Ichigo stopped paying attention to Masaki and Ryūken entirely.
All of his focus went into controlling the Reishi beneath his feet.
Another arrow flew toward him.
Just as it was about to hit—
Ichigo suddenly slipped in midair like he had stepped on a banana peel.
The sudden change in posture allowed him to narrowly avoid the arrow.
And in that instant—
The rhythm of Ryūken's suppression finally broke.
Ichigo immediately fired an arrow in retaliation.
Ryūken calmly dodged using Hirenkyaku.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
As the strongest Quincy in the Human World, Ryūken immediately understood what had happened.
Ichigo had just opened the door to Hirenkyaku.
That awkward slip earlier?
It happened because Ichigo hadn't yet adapted to the movement style of Hirenkyaku.
He lost his balance—like stepping on a banana peel.
But even though it was only a tiny amount beneath his toes—
Ryūken was certain.
That was Hirenkyaku.
No wonder Sawada Tsunayoshi had told him earlier:
"Train Ichigo as brutally as possible.
With Kurosaki Ichigo's talent, he can skip long theoretical lessons and jump straight into combat practice."
And in the midst of real battle—
Kurosaki Ichigo could absolutely awaken Quincy abilities.
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